Locomotive toy.



No. 837,040. i PATBNTED NOV. 27, 1906. D'. P. CLARK.

LOCOMOTIVE TOY.

APPLICATION FILED APE. 6. 1906.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAviD P. CLARK, or DAYTON, OHIO, AssiGNoR To D. P. CLARK AND COMPANY, OFDAYTON, oHio, A CoPARTNERsHiP.

LooolvloTlvE TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27. 1906.

" Appimaonsiei Apriiengo. sefmiiio. 310,203.

To al@ whom it 71cm/ concern;

Be it known that I, DA'viD 1). CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State'of Ohio, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Locomotive Toys, ofwhich the following isa specification, reference being had therein totheaccompanying drawings.

This'invention relates to V'certain new and useful improvements inlocomotive toys wherein an inertia-wheel is 'utilized to propel thetoy.`

The specialV objects in view are essentially twofold: first, toprovidefor using an' inl ertia-wheel whose radius is greater than that of theground or driven wheels, which obj ect is carried out by mounting thedriven or ground wheels on stud-shafts, whereby the space between'thecenters Aof the opposite wheels '1s unobstructed vand the inertia-wheelmay be extended into such space, and, second., to provide means forforcing thej inertia-shaft tightly against the surface or surfaces towhich its motion 'is transmitted ,yet without creating undue frictionbetween the inertiashaft and the means employed to so force itj,

l which obj ect is carried out by means of pres,-

. pointed out in the claims.

sure devices adapted to be pressed upon by the hand and havingantifriction-rollers be;- tween them and the inertiaeshaft, all ashereinafter more clearly described, and particularly In theaccompanying'drawings, Figure i is a side elevation of my improvedlocomotive toy, showing the invention embodied in one form or.arrangement of frame and wheels Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional viewthrough the frame,`showing the wheels in side elevation; Fig. 3, atransverse sectional view of the frame, showing the inertia-wheel alsoin section except as to its shaft; and Fig. 4, a horizontal sectionalview of the frame, showing the several wheels in plan view.

The numeral l designates a frame for such type or character of toT as isto be propelled by the wheels and their arrangement, no'w to bedescribed. For instance, the toy may embody a locomotive proper, anautomobile, fire-engine, or a hook-and-ladder, while the propellincrmeans will be in either case that now to x'be set forth. In this frameare mounted the ground-wheels 2, each upon its 5 through the axis of theopposite wheels.

own stud-shaft 3, 4which is held in the frame and extends through, butnot essentially beyond, the wheel. Thefirst result of this is that Ithespace between the wheels upon opposite sides of theframe is left freeand. unobstructed, so vthatwhile the ground-wheels are properly mountedand the frame duly supported the space between the wheels upon oppositesides is left free tO be utilized, not by an obstructing orvfunctionlessshaft or axle, but by the active element composed of the inertia-wheel4. By

jthisarrangement the inertia-wheel canbe extended in diameter,'andconsequently in heft and effectiveness, beyond- .a line passing Thisproportionately enlarged inertia wheel will continue its momentum longerthan in the case of an inertia-wheel contracted within the llimitsof thespace between the axles ofthe ground #wheels 'and then the distribution'fof they gross weight of theinertia-wheel by this arrangement may bemade more effective Aby utilizing such'weight in the exten-y 's'ionofthe diameterof the inertia-wheel.

Thus carry into e'ect the first object of my inventio`n"that is, theutilization of la relatively large inertia-wheel compared with thedistance' measured b the radius of the 'ground or driven whe s, and thusI combine together such increased or maximum diameter of inertia-wheelwith what may be termed j ordinary-sized. ground-wheels.

The inertia-wheel is mounted on a shaft namely, by resting the shaftupon the periph-` eries of these ground-wheels-its location in thisillustration being between the converging surfaces of the wheels on oneside and the converging surfaces of the Wheels on the other side of theframe; but in order to force this axle hard down upon its bearing (inthis instance the peripheries of these ground-wheels) I provide pressuredevices consisting of slidable shafts 7, havin finger or thumb pieces 8screwed or secure thereon and mounted to slide in slots 9 in the sidesofthe frame, so that these shafts 7 may have a range of movement topermit them to be forced toward the inertia-wheel shaft. The shafts 7also carry antifriction-rollers 10,

IOO

IOS

which bear down on the roller-surfaces 6 of the inertia-wheel shaft, andthus transmit to siredto get up momentum in the inertia- Wheel. In thiscase the toy is taken in the hand, pressure by the fingers is applied tothe pressure devices, and at the same time the ground-wheels are run onthe floor or other surface in short strokes, as by placing the wheels onthe iioor and pushing the toy a foot or two, then raising it andreapplying it to the-floor and pushing it over the same course, thisbeing done several times until the speed developed in the ground-wheelsis transmittedto the inertia-wheel in an accelerated degree, due to theexcessive diameter of the ground-wheels compared with the diameteroftheinertia-wheel axle. When the inertia-wheel is put under high speed,the toy isplaced upon the floor or other surface, and by the momentum ofthe inertia-wheel itis driven smoothly, but strongly, and for aconsiderable distance or time and is capable of climbing inclines or.hills. The pressure of the inertia-wheel axle upon the groundwheelsinsures practically all of the motion of these wheels ywhen starting thedevice, as stated, being transmitted to the inertiawheel; but then whenthe `toy is running along the pressure devices cause little or nofriction to be overcome by the inertia-wheel because of the presence ofthe antifriction-rollers lOin contact with.theroller-surfaces,6, and inthe act of getting up speed in the inertia-wheel theseantifriction-rollers l0 also prevent the retarding of the inertia-wheelwhile the speed is being so developedv in it.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a vlocomotive toy in which itmaybe saidthat the maximum of results is obtained-that is, a toy inwhich the maximum size of inertiawheel can be used in comparison withthe size of the ground-wheels, while a great deal of pressure can begiven the inertia-wheel to force it to take up practically all of themotion of the ground-wheels in the act of developing momentum in theinertia-wheel, and at the same time the` pressure devices are preventedfrom unduly obstructing thel inertiawheel, either when developingmomentum `in it or. when using it to run the toy, by undue frictionalcontact therewith.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new,and'desire to ysecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a locomotive toy, the combination, with a suitable frame, itsground-wheels, and stud-shafts on which they are mounted, of aninertia-wheel mounted to transmit its momentum to said ground-wheels andextending into the space between opposite stud-shafts, and vpressuredevices slidably mounted on said frame and adapted to bear upon theinertia-wheel shaft when its momentum is being developed.

2. In a-locomotive toy, the combination, with a suitable frame, itsground-wheels, and stud-shafts on which they are mounted, of aninertia-wheel whose shaft is mounted on the converging surfaces of twoadjacent ground- `wheels andwhich extends into the space betweenopposite stud-shafts, and pressure devices slidably mounted on saidframe and adapted to `be forced down to Vbear upon'the inertia-wheelshaft to increase its pressure upon the ground-wheel surfaces.

3. In a locomotive toy, the combination, with a suitable frame, and itsground-wheels, of an inertia-wheel mounted to transmit its momentum tothe ground-wheels, and pressure devices slidably mounted in the frameadapted to be forced down upon the inertiawheel shaft.

' 4. In a locomotivetoy, the combination, with a suitable frame, and itsground-wheels, of an inertia-wheelhaving its shaft mounted on theperipheries of the ground-wheels, and pressure devices consisting ofshafts slidably mounted inthe frame and having fingerpieces andantifriction-rollers, thelatter to engage with the shaft of theinertia-wheel.

' 5. Inalocomotive toy, the combination, with Aa suitable frame,itsground-wheels, and stud-shafts on which they are mounted, of aninertia-wheel having its shaft mounted on the peripheries of the'ground-wheels, and pressure devices consisting'of shafts slidablymounted in the frame and .having fingerpieces and antifriction-rollersadapted to bear on the shaft of the inertia-wheel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I -DAVID .R CLARK- Witnesses:

RUDOLPH MonAvA, CHARLES A.1 B RQWN.

